Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/948966
march 2018 / the tasting panel / 93 CLYDE MAY'S WHISKEY Neat Home Alabama: M uch of whiskey's history is more lore than fact, and the truth is often obscured by the secrecy of past distill- ers. Yet the spirit's recent renaissance has led many to dis- cover new producers and, likewise, their methods of production. One such find occurred in a lesser- known area for whiskey- making: the Conecuh Ridge in southern Alabama, once considered by the federal government to have the heaviest concentration of stills in the U.S. Here moonshiner Clyde May supplemented his income by making small batches of an amber whiskey with a hint of apple; known as Mr. Clyde's "Christmas Whiskey," it became the inspiration for the modern Clyde May's Alabama Style Whiskey (SRP $32–$40) made by Conecuh Ridge Distillery. When asked about the typical reaction to this flag- ship expression, Kirk Gaither, Clyde May's Regional Director for the West, noted: "It is an 'aha' moment when people taste it and discover that while we are adding a hint of flavor to stay true to Clyde's legacy, Clyde May's Alabama Style is a whiskey with flavor, not a flavored whiskey." The distinctive touch of apple stands strongly on its own with notes of citrus and dark ber- ries, as well as in premium warm drinks during the winter months in colder markets. In 2016, the five-year-old, non-chill filtered Clyde May's Straight Bourbon Whiskey (SRP $32–$40) won a Gold Medal in the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition. With impressive results like these, the distillery decided to heavily invest in its home state in the form of a new $13.6-mil- lion facility in Troy, Alabama, which will open in early 2019. "After a successful last few years proving that Clyde May's has the staying power to connect with consumers beyond its base in the south- eastern states, we see lots of opportunity to compete with national players, in cocktails and on shelves,"says Jay Liddell, VP of Sales & Marketing at Clyde May's. CONECUH SPIRITS REPORT whiskey